Today was fun!

Today I started Valentine's Day out right by eating heart pancakes...batter made from scratch by Darwin. It was "one of my GOOD batches," he said. I agreed. I only wish I had taken a picture of the heart I made! Darwin was a sweetie pie. He brought me white tulips. He knows they are my favorite flowers!

Darwin wanted to go to the annual St. George Parade of Homes. It was a beautiful day to go adventuring with my honey. So we loaded into the Santa Fe, and off we went. We only made it to five homes...or was it FOUR? We went clear out to The Ledges(on the way to Veyo...a gated community where very rich people live)...and worked our way back. You should go onto Facebook and see all the pics I posted. I didn't take nearly as many as usual, because my batteries were low.



AND...I took more scenery than homes, because it was a spectacular day. The skies were rain-washed and clean, the air was clear and cool, the clouds alternated between sunlight and shadow. I fell in love with southern Utah all over again. I think we live in an amazing place!





After we came home, we went out to eat at a new little cafe (where Parrot Head used to be...where Ted and Allen's started out.) It's now Britt's Cafe, and they were having a Valentine's special: steak and shrimp. They make their own rolls, their own soup, etc....and it was good! Aaron came with us, and we had a jolly good time. We ended the meal with a sinfully delicious chocolate cheesecake. Oh, how I wish I'd taken a picture...you all know how I love to photograph food. Can't believe I didn't!

Later, we went to a movie with Florie and Janna--Confessions of a Shopaholic. It was SO CUTE! You have to go see it. I laughed and cried. It was the perfect date movie/Valentine's Day flick.

Okay. I posted all my pics I took today on my Facebook account, and I'm TIRED...so go there and check it out. Just know that I love my husband dearly, and that I had a GREAT day!!!! (He even went to the store for Sunday food. What a good guy, huh!)

My Home Teacher

This is my home teacher, Ruel Hopkins. We fondly call him George Gobel...check out the haircut. He is quite delightful. He tells us his dreams, like one night he he dreamed he could soar. I could picture him in his bib overalls, which he likes to wear while he is farming--and he is a farmer--soaring all around Hurricane. It created quite a picture in my mind.














Today Ruel brought his butterfly collection. Here he is, sharing it with Darwin.

We love Ruel, and we don't want them to ever give us a different home teacher. He plays the trumpet with the symphony, and he is really good. He also comes to our house any time we need him to, and assists in giving blessings. AND...he raises yummy fruit. Yay, Ruel!!!!

Then and NOW!

So here's the pic I promised to post to offset the girly picture below. It's nice and definitely non-girly! Tee hee. I love you, Kendall!!!!

Big Sisters Are the Devil!!!

Poor Kendall. He had three older sisters who all hovered over him like a mother hen when he was growing up. But that's not the worst of it. As you can see by the picture, they dressed him up like a girl, makeup and all. I don't think that happened very often, but probably once is too many! I showed Kendall this picture tonight because it made me snort with laughter when I came across it. He wasn't so amused, even at his ripe old age. "That's blackmail material," he said. "You'd better not post it in a public place." But finally I talked him into it. I'll post a nice masculine, scruffy picture so everyone knows he wasn't permanently scarred by the experience. I think that Kate, Janna, and Shauna owe him something really good, don't you???

Help!

Someone needs to give me serious blogging lessons...I read everyone else's blogs and I am so blown away by the design on their pages. I can't even figure out how to put captions by the photos I want, and things seem to creep into different places than I intend them to. ARGHHHH! Actually, I'm sure I could learn a LOT if I would just google some sites and read them. That's SO HARD, though. I want someone to show me!

Nostalgia--I miss Gerald and Aleath!

I've been scanning photos in ALL DAY--till I feel kind of crazy. Then I uploaded them on to my facebook page, so go have a peek. Just as a tantalizer, I'll post one here. Gerald and Aleath always felt more like parents than in-laws to me. I guess I have to say that Darwin's whole family felt like mine...his sisters are my sisters, and his baby brother Dean is my baby brother, too. I loved them all before I even married him!!! But when you look at his senior picture, you can see why I fell for him, too!

Wish List

Well, why not? Julianne asked me to post my Christmas wish list. Let's just get world peace out of the way first, okay? Here is my totally selfish, ME, ME, ME wish list:
*Memory foam slippers for my polio infested tootsies, to soothe them at the end of a long school day on my feet...
*Hair products (cool ones), like deep strength moisturizers, etc.
*A manicure with the tricky Magif stuff to make my nails shine with glee...
*Earrings - light ones, but CUTE ones. Oh, how I like them, even if my ears don't!
*Refills on my Bare Minerals makeup - just the basic one
*Wonderful, comfy shoes - black ones - to wear to work
*Any beautiful music - mixes from my kids who have great music libraries
*Select movies - Nacho Libre (I AM a sucker for Jack Black!); Any of my favorite musicals in blue ray or high def (My Fair Lady, Fiddler On the Roof, Music Man)Mama Mia,
*Scriptures - a quad
*Any good Church history books that I don't have
*A VERY COOL 2009 calendar
*iPod - I want this a LOT, since my old one appears to be dead
*Microsoft Office suite 2007 for my downstairs computer
*Photo software - Adobe Photo????
*All the windows in my house washed till they shine like the top of the Chrysler building!!!!
*A sewing machine, since Juje is taking hers to school, selfish girl!
*Home-cooked meal cooked by people other than me!!!!
*My very own house elf - that would take care of it.
*A cheese cutter
*Free time to read!!!!
*Last, but not least...some Pizza Factory pizza! (See image!) Oh, how I do love to take pictures of food!